This invention relates to an apparatus for water purification, and is particularly concerned with a water purification device and system, such device incorporating one or more filtering elements and especially designed for withstanding high internal pressures required for proper operation of the filter.
Various types of water purification devices and systems particularly designed for household use, and incorporating various filtration elements such as reverse osmosis, carbon adsorption, and other filter elements have been developed, as illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 3,542,199; 3,670,892; and 3,849,305. Particularly where the water purification device employs a reverse osmosis filter, the use of pressure is required to provide proper operation of such filters and to obtain a satisfactory production rate of the pure product. Further, the pressure vessel of the purification device is frequently constructed in such a manner as to make it possible to open the vessel from time to time for cleaning and replacement of the filters which may deteriorate with time and use.
Due to the application of relatively high internal pressures in such water purification devices, leakage often occurs in the prior art devices, rendering the device inefficient and requiring replacement of parts or of the entire unit.
Further, prior art household type water purifiers and systems employ an enclosed storage or holding tank to contain the product water until demand requires the delivery of a quantity of water. Such a storage tank is often a cause for bacterial and chemical contamination of the product water because the water can become stagnant within the storage tank and dissolve substances from the tank to render the water impure. Further, prior art water purifying devices employing such storage tanks usually do not have overflow devices and the flow of water into these storage tanks ceases as the back pressure builds up and opposes and equals the pressure driving the water into the tank through the filters of such water purifying devices.
One object of the invention is the provision of a water purification device or unit, particularly adapted for household use, and having an arrangement of parts which permits the unit to operate under high internal pressures so as to provide proper operation of the filter elements contained in the device and to obtain a satisfactory or good production rate of pure product. Another object is to provide a relatively simple and inexpensive household water purification unit or device of the above type, in which the parts forming the interior chamber of the device are positively connected in tight sealing relation, and especially in conjunction with the filter elements contained therein, so that leakage from the device is avoided during high pressure operation, particularly when employing reverse osmosis filter elements. Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a water purification system, particularly designed for household use, and embodying a filtration unit or device of the above type, which operates efficiently under high internal pressures, and which incorporates an open receiver or container for receiving product water from the filtration device and permits it to be exposed to the atmosphere for aeration, with the provision of an overflow means so as to permit continuous discharge of product water from the filtration device to the open container or reservoir, the aerated product water in the container being ready for use at all times, and avoiding the stagnation of product water in unaerated closed storage containers.